October 18, 2010: “There’s nothing that can’t be done if we raise our voice as one.”

21 years ago, the “Gardner Street Elementary School”'s Auditorium in Hollywood, Los Angeles, was renamed the “Michael Jackson Auditorium”, in honor of the entertainer, who studied for his 6th grade in the school’s Room 8 as a child. Jackson attended the unveiling of then newly assembly room in 1989, where the school’s choir chanted “We Are The World”, in return of the honor, the artist paying the salary for the school’s music teacher, planting memorial bushes beside the playground and signing his name on the wall of Room 8. The Auditorium was to preserve its name until 2003, when, due to an alleged political move - according to a former student there (thank you to Aimee Michael for this information), Michael Jackson’s name was concealed behind plain-looking plywood boards, shortly after the singer had been arrested on suspicion of child abuse that year. Jackson was not even given the benefit of the doubt or considered innocent until proven otherwise. In spite of Jackson being absolved from guilt on all charges of misdemeanor by a court of law on June 13, 2005, for being innocent of any wrong doing, the school refused to have his name displayed. Since his sudden passing last year, admirers and supporters of the artist had joined efforts for the restoration of the sign and correcting this injustice. www.facebook.com/UncoverMJ is an online community of such people the world over who had managed to collect the necessary signatures and draw the attention of the school’s leadership to reconsider this years-long, prejudiced choice. The perseverant endeavors payed off, for the famous 14 letters were uncovered seven years after, this mid October, Los Angeles Times would first report.

In an official news release from October 15, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent., Ramon C. Cortines, declared that he directed “our maintenance and operations department to remove the layered board covering the tribute to Mr. Jackson at Gardner Street Elementary School in Hollywood”, “in recognition of Michael Jackson’s musical legacy and contribution to modern culture.” A school district spokesman said the decision was made in large part because Jackson had been acquitted of criminal charges in the molestation case. Los Angeles School Board member, Steven Zimmer, said: “It’s important for the District to value the artistic impact and humanitarian contribution that will be the lasting legacy of Michael Jackson.” The news release also pointed out that “for the record, the entertainer was never convicted”.

Please, visit http://www.facebook.com/UncoverMJ, to view fans’ reactions, comments, including pictures taken at the newly uncovered Auditorium. Thank you to all who made this wonderful feat possible. And for making Michael smile once more, as he so much deserves.